Western Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Ranunculus repens L.
- Family: Butter-cup (Ranunculaceae)
- Flowering: May-August
- Field Marks: This large-flowered yellow butter-cup is readily distinguished by its slender stolons that root at the nodes.
- Habitat: Moist, disturbed soil.
- Habit: Perennial herb with slender stolons and with thread-like roots.
- Stems: Ascending, branched, up to 2 feet tall, hairy.
- Leaves: Alternate, ternately compound, the leaflets both lobed and toothed, up to 2 inches long, usually hairy.
- Flowers: 1-few on ascending stems, each flower up to 1 1/4 inches across.
- Sepals: 5, green, free from each other, up to 1/3 inch long.
- Petals: 5, yellow, free from each other, about 1/2 inch long or a little longer.
- Stamens: Many.
- Pistils: Many in each flower, each with a superior ovary.
- Fruits: Achenes up to 25 in a head, each achene obovoid, 1/8-1/6 inch long, with a hooked beak at the tip.
- Notes: This butter-cup is native to Europe and Asia. It is sometimes planted in gardens because of its showy flowers. The achenes may be eaten by birds.
Previous Species -- Straight-beak Butter-cup (Ranunculus orthorhynchus)
Return to Species List -- Group 6
Next Species -- Pond Butter-cup (Ranunculus subrigidus)
